, listening to that conversation, a few minutes before the opening bell, front page of the "washington post," investors aren't waiting for a deal. they're selling stock, they're trying to sell homes. they're setting up shelters, gifts for taxes. this discussion is not academic by any stretch of the imagination. >> we have to avoid the cliff, period. >> yes, we do. >> we do. to your point, carl, $20 billion in special dividends have been paid out this quarter. some of the economists said this would be a jump of income in the household, payouts to dividends, acceleration into this year. >> becky and jim, who have been doing amazing work on capitol hill, did talk to grover norquist, a bit of a rematch after cramer's appearance a couple of weeks ago with grover norquist. >> obama personally moved it out two years, because he didn't want to raise taxes and damage the economy, because he said the economy was weak. the economy's not strong now. so the argument to raise taxes now is not any better than it was two years ago. i think there's a real danger we could end up with some damaging tax increa
